The All-Party Group on Community Pharmacy, set up 16 months ago to give the sector a voice within Stormont, is to relaunch and continue pushing its support for pharmacists and their teams in the new Northern Ireland Assembly over the next five years.

The Assembly’s last mandate before May’s Stormont election ended in 2022 and brought an end to all of the All-Party Groups but the formation of the new Assembly has seen the APGCP re-establish.

It will again bring together representatives from the country’s political parties and the community pharmacy network to discuss policy and issues affecting pharmacy teams.

“We know that during this Assembly mandate, important decisions will have to be made to future-proof our health service and ensure it runs effectively and sustainably,” said APGCP chair Pam Cameron.

“Community pharmacy will have a pivotal role to play in this, and through the All-Party Group, I look forward to playing a role in driving forward fresh ideas that maximise the network’s potential.”

Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland chief executive Gerard Greene said the APGCP was “a vital platform for members of the community pharmacy workforce to highlight the current state of play on the ground” to members of the Legislative Assembly “and identify where improvements can be made".

He said he would use the Group to continue raising concerns about workforce pressures and ensuring community pharmacies are integrated into the Department of Health’s 10-year transformation programme set up in 2016 to improve health and social care in Northern Ireland.